Machine for positioning the handles of containers



Jan. 16, 1962 R. F. WIGGINS ETAL 3,017,009

MACHINE FOR POSITIONING THE HANDLES 0F CONTAINERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 13, 1960 Jan. 16, 1962 R. F. WIGGINS ETAL 3,017,009

MACHINE FOR POSITIONING THE HANDLES 0F CONTAINERS Filed June 15, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 16, 1962 R. F. WIGGINS ETAL 3,017,009

MACHINE FOR POSITIONING THE HANDLES OF CONTAINERS Filed June 15, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 76 fi I I V. 4-.

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Jan. 16, 1962 R. F. WlGGlNS- ETAL MACHINE FOR POSITIONING THE HANDLES OF CONTAINERS Filed June 15, 1960 3,017,069 Patented Jan. 16, 1962 3,017,00? MACHINE FQR lOdllTIONING THE HANDLES F CGNTAINERS Richard F. Wiggins, Sonthport, and John A. Maltas, Bridgeport, Conn, and Raymond L. Gann, Downers Grove, ill., assignors to The Gyromat Corp., lFairfield, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed June 13, 1969, Ser. No. 35,665 12 Claims. (Cl. 193-29) The present invention relates to a machine for positioning the handles of pails or containers successively and automatically in a feed line away from adjacent walls of the containers to permit coating or painting of the containers in the areas of the handles.

A so-called closed-head container, as for example, for oil or gasoline, is circular in periphery and has a cover or head with an opening for filling and a handle on the cover with a pivotal frictional connection thereto permitting the handle to be lowered flat against the cover for storage or transportation and to be lifted for carrying purposes. When such containers are to be painted or coated, the handles in lowered positions interfere with this coating operation underneath the handles.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved machine for automatically positioning the handles on containers successively away from adjacent walls of the containers as the containers move along a feedrline to a handle positioning station.

In accordance with certain features of the present invention, a feed conveyor carries the containers successively in line towards a handle positioning station. At this station, a handle positioning head desirably in the form of a reciprocable magnet head is operated through handle positioning cycles and feeler means cooperating with the periphery of each container in the vicinity of this station initiates each handle positioning cycle of the head and causes the head to pivotally raise each handle about its pivotal connections. With the handle raised and retained in this position by the friction in its pivotal connections, the container can be moved along for subsequent coating or painting, as for example, by spraying.

Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear sectional view of the machine embodying the present invention, said view being taken on lines 1-1 of FIG. 2, and showing the leading container in a feed line approaching a position directly under the handle positioning head and said head in uppermost inoperative position;

FIG. 2 is a top plan sectional view of the machine taken on lines 22 of FIG. 1 and showing the leading container approaching a position directly under the handle positioning head;

FIG. 3 is a top plan sectional view of part of the machine similar to that of FIG. 2 but showing a subsequent phase of the machine in which the leading container has reached the handle positioning station directly underneath the handle positioning head and is being held in this position until the handle positioning head has completed its operation on the container;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the machine shown with the entrance end broken away and shows the movable parts of the machine and the leading container in the positions corresponding to those in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4 but shown without the handle lifting head and shows a subsequent phase of operation in which the leading container has reached the handle positioning station directly underneath the handle positioning head;

FIG. 6 is a detail section taken on lines 6-6 of FIG. 3 and of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view somewhat diagrammatic of the air motor for operating the handle positioning head, and shows in conjunction therewith part. of the electric circuit for controlling the operation of the air motor;

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-section of the handle positioning head but shown on a larger scale than is shown in the other figures and shows in full lines the head in raised inoperative position and in dot and dash lines the head in lowered position to engage the container handle for lifting operation; and

FIG. 9 is a top plan sectional view of the handle positioning head shown with parts broken away to reveal the interior structure and is taken on lines 9-9 of FIG. 8.

Referring to the drawings, the machine includes a conveyor 10 shown in the form of an endless belt for feeding a line of containers or pails 11 successively towards and then away from a handle positioning station along guide rails 9 on opposite sides of the belt. The containers 11 are shown of the closed-head type having a cylindrical body 12 and a cover 13 permanently aifixed thereto and carrying a pivoted handle 14. The handle 14 is of magnetizable metal, such as iron, and is shown in the form of a U-shaped wire having an intermediate grippable portion 15 and side arms terminating in journals 16 supported in bearings 17 affixed to the cover 13 near the center, as for example, by welding. The bearings 17 embrace the handle journals 16 with sufficient friction to retain the handle 14 in any raised or extended position beyond the fiat or collapsed position A in which it lies flat against the cover 13. The handle 14 in this lowered position A renders the container 11 convenient for ship ping or storing but interferes with the coating or painting of the part or wall of the cover underneath the handle and with the coating or painting of the underside of the handle, as for example, by spraying.

The containers 11 described, which may be of any size, as for example, of five gallon size, and which are shown of a height reduced in scale in relation to other dimensions of the containers, to facilitate illustration of the handle positioning machine in relation thereto, are carried in line by the conveyor belt 10 while in empty condition with their handles 14 lowered into position A against the covers 13. The covers 13 may have openings 18 through which the containers 10 may be subsequently filled after being coated.

The containers 11 are moved successively by the conveyor belt 10 towards the handle positioning station where the handles 14 are pivotally raised from lowered position A to elevated position B shown in dot and dash lines in FIG. 8 to clear the covers 13 and the undersides of the handles for spraying.

At the handle positioning station, there is a handle positioning head 20 which is operated in response to certain feeler actions on the periphery of the leading container 11 to lift the handles 14 pivotally from the covers 13. This handle positioning head 20 is desirably in the form of a magnet head operated for vertical movement from an overhead motor 21. To support the motor 21, this motor is afiixed to a support rail plate 22 (FIG. 1) mounted on a motor base 25 with a slide connection permitting vertical adjustment of said rail plate with said motor along said motor base by means of a vertical screw 26 and a handle 27 at the upper end of said screw. This motor base 25 in turn is aflixed to a base support beam 28, which has end adjustable connections with two :fixed vertical columns 29 permitting said beam to be adjusted vertically along said columns. The connections between the ends of the base support beam 28 and the vertical columns 29 comprise collars 30 afn'xed to the ends of said beam and embracing said columns with slide fits. A pair of pinions 32 journalled in these collars 30 and meshing with rack teeth 33 extending along the columns 29 are interconnected by a shaft 34 terminating in a crank handle 35 to permit the height of the motor base 25 to be vertically adjusted according to the height of the containers to be operated upon. The shaft 34 may be locked against rotation in any adjusted position by any suitable means, as for example, by keying, pinning or lock screwing, or friction augmented by the jamming action resulting from the overhanging of the magnet head 20 and its supports in relation to the columns 29.

The turning of the crank handle 35 permits coarse adjustment in the elevation of the magnet head 20 to accommodate for the height of the containers 11 and the turning of the handle 27 to adjust the elevation of the motor 21 in relation to the motor base 25 affords finer adjustments in the elevation of the magnet head.

The magnet head 20 comprises a floating support plate 40 (FIGS. 1 and 8) suspended from the support rail plate 22 by a pair of springs 41. For that purpose, the support rail plate 22 carries at its sides two rods 42 to which the upper ends of the springs 41 are anchored, the lower ends being secured to the sides of the support plate 40.

The magnet head 20 also includes a magnet mounting ring 43 secured to the support plate 40 through tubular spacers 44 and secured to this magnet mounting ring is a magnet ring 45 of magnetizable material, such as iron, magnetized by a plurality of permanent magnets 46, three being shown in contact with said magnet ring and clamped to said magnet mounting ring.

The motor 21 i desirably an air motor having a piston (not shown) connected to a piston rod 50 and the connection between said motor and the magnet head 20 includes a tube 51 afiixed at its upper end to the piston rod and having a slide fit in a guide collar 52 rigidly secured to or integral with the central part of the support plate 40. The lower end of the tube 51 carries a washer 53 on which the lower end of the guide collar 52 seats. The tube 51 is biased upwardly by a coil spring 54 between the upper end of the guide collar 52 and a flange 55 on said tube.

Yieldably supported on the tube 51 is a stripper ring 56 inside the magnet ring 45 desirably made of nonmagnetic material, such as aluminum. The yieldable connection for the support of the stripper ring 56 comprises a cap 57 rigidly secured to the lower end of a rod 58 and carrying the stripper ring 56 adjustable therealong by means of a set screw 59. The rod 58 is slidable in the tube 51 and is urged downwardly relative to the support plate 40 by a coil spring 60 encircling the rod and bearing at the ends against the guide collar 52 and against the cap 57. Secured to the lower end of the cap 57 is a rubber cushion 62.

The air motor 21, per se, forms no part of the present invention, and may take any suitable form, well known in the art, such as that commercially available under the trade name Bellows BCAEM-Z. This air motor 21 is desirably designed for single cycling action and for double air drive action during each cycle and may comprise an upright cylinder 65 (FIG. 7) having connections at opposite ends to a source of air pressure controlled by a three-way valve 66. Two control rods 67 and 63 are located along one side of the air motor 21. One of these rods 67 movable with the piston rod 50 actuates adjustable trip clamps 70 mounted on the other rod 68 toreverse the valve 66 at pre-set points. The adjustable trip clamps 70 regulate stroke length, limiting travel in either direction by positive location of each point of valve rever-sal.

The valve 66 is operated by an electric control 72 when the circuit of said control is closed in the manner to be described, while the motor piston 50 is in upward retracted position. This operation of the valve 66 admits air under pressure to the top of the motor piston and advances thereby the piston downward in the air motor 21. Upon striking the appropriate trip clamp 70 at the end of the advance stroke, the valve 66 is operated to admit air under pressure to the underside of the motor piston and to open the upper side of the piston to the atmosphere, thereby causing the piston to retract upwardly. The circuit of the electric valve control 72 is closed only momentarily and by the time the piston reaches the end of its retracting movement, this circuit is opened. The motor piston thereby remains in upper retracted position until the electric valve control 72 is again energized in the manner to be described.

The magnet head 20 attracts the container handles 14 and raises them angularly from the container covers 13. To prevent the containers 11 from being raised bodily by the magnet head 20 during the retracting movement of said head, a pair of hold down rails 75 are provided secured to the ends of the rods 42 by four suspension rods 76.

In the operation of the magnet head 20, while the head is stationary and is in uppermost position, the leading container 11 moves into proper centered position with respect to the magnet head as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 and while this container is in this centered position and is held in this position by means to be described, the proper impulse is created in a manner to be described, to energize the electric valve control 72 and thereby to 0pera-te the motor valve 66, so that air under pressure will be admitted to the top of the piston in the motor 21. This operation initiates the lowering of the magnet head 20 as a whole against the action or the springs 41 and the downward movement of the head continues until the cushion 62 on the cap 57 reaches the center of the cover 13 of the leading container 11 positioned in centered registry with the magnet head clear of the handle 14, as shown in full lines in FIG. 8 and as shown in FIG. 9. The motor piston continues to move downwardly, and this causes the magnet ring 45 to move downwardly against the action of the spring 60 until the magnet ring reaches a position shown in dot and dash lines in FIG. 8. The motor piston has a certain amount of advancing overtravel beyond this point, causing the spring 54 to be compressed to assure full contact between the magnet ring 45 and the container handle 14. The springs 54 and 60 are of such relative strength as to cause them to compress successively in the manner described.

The circularity of the magnet ring 45 and its central position in relation to the container 11 held at the handle positioning station, causes said ring to engage the same two parts of the intermediate section of the handle 14 of said container regardless of its rotative position in relation to the magnet head 20, as shown in FIG. 9.

When the motor piston has reached the end of its lowermost position, the motor 21 is automatically reversed in the manner described, shutting off air pressure from the upperside of the piston and admitting air under pressure to the underside of the piston. This causes upward movement of the tube 51 assisted by the expanding coil spring 54 until the washer 53 on the lower end of said tube reaches the lower end of the guide collar 52, whereupon the magnet ring 45 is carried upwardly with the retracting motor piston. The magnet ring 45 having previously engaged the container handle 14, as shown in dot and dash lines in FIG. 8, the upward movement of the magnet ring 45 will cause the handle magnetically attracted to the underside of the ring to swing upwardly about its pivotal connections 17, with the cover 13, while the cap 57, as well as the stripper ring 56 connected thereto, remain in their lowermost position shown in full lines in FIG. 8, under the expansive action of the spring 60, the cap 57 serving as a plunger to hold the container 11 down against being magnetically lifted bodily. As the magnet ring 45 with the handle 14 attached thereto continues to move upwardly beyond the stripper ring 56, the intermediate section of the raised handle striking the underside of the ring is prevented from following the magnet ring and is stripped therefrom, while the handle remains in tilted position against the underside of the stripper ring. Continued upward retractive movement of the motor piston causes the cap 57 with the stripper ring 56 attached thereto to rise beyond and clear of the raised handle. The supports for the ends of the handle 14 are frictionally strong enough to maintain the handle in raised position without assistance. The leading container 11 with the handle raised is then released for movement with the conveyor belt to a subsequent station, as for example, for spray painting. The lifted handle 14 permits spraying all over the cleared cover 13 and on all sides of the raised handle.

The springs 41 are helpful in assuring the return upward movement of the magnet head 26 even upon failure of air pressure on the underside of the motor piston.

By the time the magnet head 2% has reached its uppermost retractive inoperative position, the electric valve control 72 (FIG. 7) is deenergized and will remain in this condition, so that the magnet head remains immobilized in this position until the next container 11 reaches a position centered directly underneath the magnet head, whereupon the valve is again energize and the magnet head is moved through another cycle.

There are two control members 9i? and 91 desirably in the form of two electric switches in series, both of which must be operated before the electric valve control 72 may be operated. The electric valve control 72 may constitute the coil of a solenoid, and this coil is in series with the two switches 90 and 91 (FIG. 7), so that the control 72 cannot be energized unless both of these switches are closed at the same time. Feeler means are provided operated automatically by the presence of a container in the vicinity of the handle positioning station for closing the switch 90, and means are provided for holding the container against movement by the conveyor it when said container reaches said station and for closing the switch 91 while the container is held at said station. The energization of the two switches 9i and 91 at the same time, will energize the valve control 72 at the same time and will thereby start the magnet head through another handle positioning cycle described.

Switch 90' desirably in the form of a microswitch is supported on a part of the frame structure of the machine and is operated through an arm 94 by a gravity rod 95 vertically slidable in bearings 96 on a plate 97 atfixed to another part of the frame structure. This rod 95 is urged downwardly by its weight and a collar (not shown) aihxed to the rod 95 and upon reaching one of said bearings 96, limits the lowermost position of said rod in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. In this dropped position of the rod 95, the switch 90 is open and remains so until the rod is raised.

The other switch 91, also desirably in the form of a microswitch, is supported on the frame structure of the machine and is operated through a control arm 1% on a shaft 161. This shaft 101 is rotated continuously from the drive of the machine through a sprocket chain transmission 89 and during each revolution of the shaft Fr ll, the switch t is tripped by the control arm 165i and closed momentarily and then is opened as said control arm passes by the operating arm of said switch. Unless the switch 90 is closed at the time the switch 91 is closed, the electric valve control 7'2 initiating the cycle of the magnet head 20 will not be energized and the magnet head will remain stationary. The closing of the switch 90 depends on the locations of the containers 11 on the feed line of the conveyor it) in relation to the handle positioning station, and for that purpose, feeler means are provided cooperating with the containers as they move along said feed line. Even though the switch 91 goes through continuous cycling action closing periodically even though there are no containers at the handle positioning station, the switch 9G is only closed when there is a container close to and approaching said sta- 9 tion. This assures against the idling operation of the magnet head 29, when there are no containers on the feed line.

The feeler means comprises a pawl roller 102 in the path of the containers 11 mounted on a pawl arm 103, which is ailixed to a stub shaft 104 journalled in a bearing 195 secured to the plate 97, and which is urged clockwise (FIG. 2) by a spring 106. Locking this pawl arm 193 against clockwise rotation beyond the limiting posi tion shown in FIG. 2 by the action of the spring 106 is a stop $9 and locking this pawl arm 183 against counterclockwise rotation (FIG. 2) is a roller 197 supported on a plate 168 secured to the upper end of the gravity rod 95 to serve as a pawl lock, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. in this locked position of the pawl arm 163, the pawl lock rod 95 is in lowermost position due to its weight and the roller lii7 carried by said rod is in the path of the pawl arm M3 preventing said arm from rotating counterclockwise and blocking thereby the movement of the leading container Bill, which is approaching but has not reached the handle positioning station directly underneath the mag net head as. The stopping of the leading container 11 does not interfere with the continuous movement or" the conveyor belt ltl. In the meantime, the shaft 161 is rotating and a control arm 199 on said shaft is rotating therewith and when it reaches a roller lid on the lower end of the lock rod 95, it engages said roller and thereby lifts the lock rod 95, causing the roller M7 to rise beyond the pawl arm 1%, so that the pawl arm is free to rotate counter clockwise under the advancing influence of the leading container 11. As the lock rod 95 rises, it closes switch 98.

A roller 1E1 jonrnalled in extensions of the plate 97 bears against a flat side of the lock rod 95 to prevent said rod from turning without interfering with the endwise movement of the rod. This assures proper alignment of the roller 11% with the control arm 109, when said control arm reaches said roller.

The control arm it on the shaft 101 travels a limited angular distance, as for example, about 15 in engagement with the roller lit at the lower end of the lock rod 95, and as the control arm passes beyond said roller, the lock rod is freed from the lifting influence of the control arm, and tends to drop by gravity. However, in the meantime, the center part of the pawl arm 103 has shifted to a position underneath the roller 137, as shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, so that when the lock rod 95 is released from the lifting influence of the control arm 109, the roller 107 drops onto this central part of the pawl arm and is held up in raised position to prevent the switch 9% from opening. This switch thereby remains closed during the subsequent operations to be described.

With the pawl arm 103 released, as described, the leading container 11 is free to move forwardly under the action of the conveyor 10 from the position shown in FIG. 2 into position directly underneath the magnet head 20 at the handle positioning station, as shown in FIG. 3. At that station, the leading container 11 is centered in relation to the overhead magnet 24 and is held against movement while the conveyor 10 continues to operate, to permit the switch 91 to be closed and the magnet head 20 to come down and perform its handle raising operation. After the handle from the container 11 at the handle positioning station has been raised by the magnet head as described, the container is released for advancement with the conveyor M towards some other station to perform some other operation, such as spraying or painting, while the next container is held back long enough to restore the different operating parts or" the machine to their original state for the next operation. An escapement mechanism is provided for the latter purpose.

The escapement mechanism comprises a pair of rollers 315 and 116 on one side of the conveyor 10 mounted on the respective arms of a bell crank 117 secured to the upper end of a vertical rocker shaft 118 journalled in bearings 120 on the plate 97 and a pair of similar rollers 115a and 116a on the opposite side of the conveyor 10 mounted on the respective arms of a bell crank 117a secured to the upper end of a vertical rocker shaft 118a journalled in bearing 120a on a plate 97a secured to the frame structure of the machine. The rollers 115 and 116 are operated from a cam 125 on the shaft 101 engaging a follow er roller 126 on the end of an arm 127 secured to the lower end of the shaft 118. The rollers 115a and 115a are operated in synchronism with the rollers 115 and 115 and for that purpose, the lower end of the shaft 113a carries pair of opposed arms 130, one of which is connected to an arm of the bell crank 117 by a link 131, the other arm 130 being biased by a spring 132 secured to the frame structure of the machine.

The cam 125 consists of two similar cam units, both engaged by the follower roller 12-6 under the action of the spring 132 and adjustably connected together by a stud 133 threaded into one of said units and passing through an arcuate slot 134 in the other to permit the effective length of the high part of the cam to be adjusted according to the desired cycling periods.

The set of escapement rollers 115 and 116 on one side of the conveyor feed line and directly associated mechanisms may be sufiicient to perform certain control operations described, but the other set of escapement rollers 115a and 116a on the other side of the feed line with their directly associated mechanisms are desirable in conjunction with the escapement rollers 115 and 116 to center the container 11 at the handle positioning station in relation to the overhead magnet head 20. Since the escapement rollers 115a and 116a are arranged and operated in image mirror relationship to the escapement rollers 115 and 116, only the operation of the latter rollers is described herein.

In the position shown in FIG. 2, with the leading container 11 held from reaching the handle positioning station by the locked pawl roller 102, the cam follower roller 126 riding on the high part of the cam 125 holds and locks the escapement roller 115 against counterclockwise rotation, in the path of the containers shown in FIG. 2 to block the leading container when it reaches said station, and holds the escapement roller 116 out of the path of the containers.

When the pawl roller 102 has been released from locked container blocking position by the control arm 109 on the shaft 101 in the manner described and as shown in FIG. 4, the leading container 11 resumes its forward movement under the influence of the conveyor 10 until the container reaches the escapement roller 115 at the handle positioning station, as shown in FIG. 3. At this stage, the switch 90 is closed in the manner previously described, the escapement roller 115 is locked by the engagement of the cam follower roller 126 with the high part of the cam 125 and the switch 91 is open. During these conditions, the leading container 11 at the handle positioning station is held against movement with the conveyor 10, and during this phase, the control arm 100 on the shaft 101 reaches a position in which it closes the switch 91 momentarily. At the instant both switches 90 and 91 are closed, the circuit of the electric valve control 72 is closed, thereby energizing said control, and shifting the valve 66 into the position in which air under pressure is admitted to the upper side of the piston of the motor 21. This causes the magnet head 20 to descend from uppermost immobilized position and to go through a cycle in which the handle 14 on the container 11 held at the handle positioning station is raised in the manner already described.

After the magnet head 20 has completed its cycle and has retracted to its uppermost position where it becomes immobilized until the next cycle is initiated by the closing of the switch 91, the low part of the cam 125 moves into engagement with the follower roller 126, thereby permitting the escapement bell crank 117 to rotate counterclockwise under the action of the spring 132 from the position shown in FIG. 3, and this permits the leading container with its handle 14 raised to pass on beyond the escapement roller to some subsequent station. This counterclockwise rotation of the bell crank 117 also moves the roller 116 into the path of the succeeding container 11 and holds it until the leading container 11 has passed the escapement roller 115. This holding of the next container 11 by the escapement roller 116 permits the pawl roller 102 to move back into the position shown in FIG. 2 in the path of the containers in the feed line under the action of the spring 106 and this action swings the pawl arm 103 from underneath the roller 107 on the upper end of the gravity rod 95 causing said rod to drop by gravity back into the position shown in FIG. 4 and opening thereby the switch 90. The pawl arm 10 3 is now locked awaiting the next container being held by the escapement roller 116.

When the leading container 11 with its handle 14 raised has passed beyond engagement with the escapement roller 115, the bell crank 117 is rotated clockwise back into position shown in FIG. 2 by the action of the high part of the cam riding in engagement with the cam follower 126, and this moves the escapement roller 116 out of position where it blocks the next container, thereby permitting it to advance until it reaches the locked pawl roller 102. The operations previously described are then repeated.

It is seen that in the absence of any containers in the feed line, there will be no operation of the magnet head 20, and no operation of the pawl mechanism 102, 103 and 104. The operation of all of these parts of the machine are initiated by the presence of a container in the proximity of the handle positioning station. Since the switch 90 will, therefore, not be closed, the periodic closing of the switch 91 will not operate the magnet head 20 idly.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to a specific embodiment, it is to be understood that it is not to be limited thereto but is to be construed broadly and restricted solely by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for positioning handles on containers away from adjacent walls thereof at a handle positioning station, to permit the coating of said walls and of all sides of said handles, comprising a handle positioning mechanism at said station, conveyor means for feeding the containers successively through said handle positioning station, a pair of control members, means automatically operable each time both of said control members are actuated for initiating the operation of said handle positioning mechanism through a single operating cycle, means automatically operable by a container on said conveyor means in the vicinity of said station as it approaches said station for actuating one of said members, and means operable while said container is at said station for actuating the other of said control members, to initiate operation of said handle positioning mechanism through said cycle.

2. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said other control member is actuated continuously and automatically through successive cycles irrespective of the presence of any containers at said station.

3. An apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said one control means is actuated automatically in response to feeler action on the container in the vicinity of the handle positioning station as the latter container approaches said station, and wherein said other control member is actuated continuously and automatically through successive cycles irrespective of the presence of any container at said station.

4. An apparatus for positioning handles on containers away from adjacent walls thereof at a handle positioning station, to permit the coating of said walls and of all sides of said handles, comprising a handle positioning mecha nism at said station, conveyor means for feeding the containers successively through said handle positioning station, an electric valve control, means responsive to the energization of said control for initiating the operation of said mechanism through a single cycle, a pair of switches in series with each other and with said control for closing the circuit of said control and for energizing thereby said control when said switches are closed at the same time, container feeler means automatically operable by a container on said conveyor means in the vicinity of said station as the latter container approaches said station for closing one of said switches and for maintaining the latter switch closed until the latter container reaches said station and while the latter container is at said station, and means for closing the other switch automatically through continuous cycles irrespective of the presence of any container on said conveyor means.

5. An apparatus for positioning handles away from adjacent Walls on containers having circular peripheral walls to permit the coating of said walls, comprising a handle positioning mechanism, a continuously operable conveyor means including a container supporting belt movable continuously underneath said mechanism for feeding the containers in succession past the field of operation of said mechanism underneath said mechanism, means for positioning each container in upright position on said conveyor means transverse to the conveyor belt and in proper position to be acted upon by said mechanism as said container reaches said field of operation, means for holding the latter container in said proper position while said conveyor means continues its operation, means operable while each container is being held in said proper position for operating said mechanism through a handle positioning cycle, and means operable after each handle positioning cycle for releasing said holding means to permit the latter container to be advanced away from said field of operation, said container positioning means and said container holding means comprising a pair of opposed rollers on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the conveyor belt, a pair of pivoted arms supporting said rollers respectively, means connecting said arms for similar pivotal movements in reverse mirror relationship, and means for cyclically actuating said arms pivotally first in one position in which said rollers extend into the path of the containers and engage the peripheral walls of the container in said field of operation and thereby position the latter container and hold the latter container against advancement and then in another position out of the path of the containers to release the container in said field of operation for advancement.

6. An apparatus for positioning handles on containers away from adjacent walls thereof at a handle positioning station to permit the coating of said walls, comprising a handle positioning mechanism, a continously operable conveyor means including a container supporting con veyor belt for feeding the containers in line successively past said station, feeler means operable from an initial position on containers in the vicinity of said station as each container approaches said station for initiating a certain operation leading to the operation of said mechanism, means for completing the initiated operation when each container reaches said station to operate said mechanism through a single cycle, and escapement means operable through alternate phases for holding during one phase each container against the movement of the conveyor belt as the latter container reaches said station to permit said mechanism to position the handle of the latter container and for releasing during another phase the latter container after its handle has been positioned to permit the latter container to advance with the conveyor belt and for simultaneously holding back the succeeding container to permit said feeler means to be restored to said initial position.

7. An apparatus as described in claim 6, wherein the containers have circular peripheral walls and are supported in upright position on said conveyor belt and wherein said escapement means comprises a pivotally supported bell crank having arms carrying escapernent rollers respectively in position to engage the peripheral walls of the containers on said conveyor belt during the operation of said escapement means, and means for oscillating said bell crank about its pivotal support, to bring one of said rollers in the path of the container at said station and the other roller out of the path of the succeeding container in one of said phases and to reverse the bell crank to bring said one roller out of the path of the container at said station and said other roller into the path of the suceeding container in the other phase.

8. An apparatus for positioning pivoted handles of magnetic material on containers comprising a magnetic handle positioning mechanism for magnetically attracting the handles and raising them from collapsed positions in relation to the containers to extended positions in relation to said containers, means for feeding the containers successively past the field of operation of said mechanism,

and means operative automatically as each container moves successively into said field of operation for actuating said mechanism through a cycle in which the handle of the latter container is magnetically extended from the container.

9. An apparatus for raising frictionally pivoted U- shaped handles of magnetic material near the centers of the covers of closed-head containers from collapsed positions against the covers to extended frictionally retained positions in relation to said covers to permit the covers to be coated in the vicinity of said handles, comprising a handle positioning head at a station, means for feeding the containers in upright positions successively past said station underneath said head, said head having a magnet, and means for moving said magnet through a cycle downwardly into contact wih the intermediate part of the handle of the container at the station, and then upwardly to raise said handle into frictionally retained extended position relative to the cover of the latter container.

10. An apparatus as described in claim 9, wherein said magnet is in the form of a ring, and wherein there are provided means for centering each container with respect to said ring as the container reaches said station, and means for holding said container at said station while said magnet is moving through said cycle.

11. An apparatus as described in claim 9, wherein stripper means are provided for stripping the raised handle from said magnet as said magnet moves upwardly beyond a predetermined position.

12. An apparatus as described in claim 9, wherein said magnet is in the form of a ring, and wherein there are provided means for centering each container with respect to said ring as the container reaches said station, means for holding said container at said station While said magnet is moving through said cycle, a plunger centrally located in relation to said magnet ring, and a yieldable spring-pressed connection between said magnet ring and said plunger causing said plunger to be lowered with said magnet ring ahead of said magnet ring to engage the central part of the cover of the container at said station clear of the handle of said container, while said magnet ring resumes its downward movement against the action of spring pressure, and causing said magnet ring to move upwardly with the handle attracted thereto while said plunger holds said container against upward movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,668,002 Temple Feb. 2, 1954 

